


The Living Years

by akingman



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andreil, M/M, Other, Sorry Not Sorry, also squint for kevandreil, really ooc ig, sad dad funeral kinda, this is for abby lmaoooooo bc she keeps yellin at me :(
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 12:30:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20291491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akingman/pseuds/akingman
Summary: Wymack dies and the foxes deal in the way you'd think but Andrew doesn't expect to feel the way he does. He looks to Betsy to find out that what he never had was there all along.





	The Living Years

**Author's Note:**

> LOLMAOO!! I got really angst on twitter about Andrew and Wymack's weird, kind of sad but wholesome father/son relationship and how Andrew DEFINITELY reacts when Wymack dies, even if he doesn't let it show. Seriously, you guys. :( Wymack is seriously the best dad ever and Andrew deserves a father!!! A good father!!
> 
> Also ur welc to Abigail who keeps being mean >:) nothing can stop me <3

"Did you ever see him as a father?" Betsy asked, eyes as bright as they are when she opens one more of Andrew's many closed doors. 

"I never had a good father," Andrew replies. 

"Wymack wasn't like that. He wasn't scared of me, and he didn't like me," Andrew didn't have to say that no one liked him, except Renee. "But he wanted me on the team and he agreed to bring Nicky and Aaron." 

Andrew drank more of the hot chocolate to keep his mouth busy. His leg began bouncing up and down, up and down as he gathered his scattered thoughts. He never thought about his relationship with Wymack.

"I wouldn't say he was a father. He's Kevin's but not mine. Not Aaron's, not Nicky's. He pays for some of our meals and keeps us safe. Though Neil has an issue with bringing trouble to us."

Betsy jumped on the wording immediately. 

"You mention Neil," Betsy says and smiles when Andrew glares at her. They both know Andrew brings Neil up as little as possible, but sometimes it slips out. "Wouldn't you say Wymack treats Neil and Kevin like a son? Protecting them? Teaching them to learn from their mistakes? Providing a home?"

Andrew wanted to tell her she said "home" like it was a big deal. It seemed she had been taking sessions with Neil after all. 

"I guess," Andrew said and rolled his eyes. 

Andrew heard the words before they even came out. 

"Isn't that what he does for you?" 

Andrew stared at her, and then at the floor. 

"Uh oh" Andrew said and looked up at Betsy, "Time for me to go."

"Next time," Betsy said and stood up to clear Andrew's clutter. 

Andrew only huffed and walked out. He closed the door behind him and flagged down Nicky who had been waiting for him. 

He was going to run off all the thoughts in his head. He told himself that Betsy was only trying to get him to open up to one more person. One more could have killed him. He wasn't about to play family with someone who wanted nothing to do with him once all the Exy shit was over. Andrew would never have a father, and over his dead body would be admit Betsy was something to him.

XXXX 

Andrew remembered the night they got the call. They were lounging on the couch, him and Neil, watching some Exy match Kevin had sent them. A former Raven player recovered and joined another team. That team won the championship a few years back by playing one of Kevin's impossible moves. Neil was watching star-eyed and Andrew nursed a beer in his lap, wondering how long this match would be. He wanted to go to bed but Neil's weight on his side was well worth the wait.

In the middle of another score Neil's phone lit up. It was on silent but the damn thing moved and vibrated on the coffee table in front of them. Neil reached for it but kept his eyes on the TV. Andrew went to grab the phone instead. Neil swatted his hand away and took his eyes off the screen to see who was calling. 

"It's Dan," Neil said in a statement that sounded more like a question. "She's calling late."

Andrew looked up and saw that it was one in the morning, nothing far from their usual routine. He watched Neil open the phone and crack a smile but it didn't last long. 

Neil put the phone on speaker. It was something Neil did to keep Andrew in the conversation. Since it was Dan at one in the morning it must have been serious. 

"It's Wymack- He- He's gone, he's dead, Neil-" Her voice cut off by a hiccup as she began to sob into the phone. Andrew could hear Matt trying to calm her down in the background . Their three year old dog barking, and he focused on Neil to see his reaction. 

Neil looked a thousand miles away. Andrew tried to process this information. Yes, Wymack was old. He'd always been a grumpy old man who kicked their asses into gear when they weren't performing. He was there to feed and clothe them and inspire them to live, to fight, but they thought he'd last longer than this. His first thought was, what did Abby feed him? Something lodged in his throat. He wondered for once if this was some cruel way of reminding them that happiness didn't last? 

If Wymack didn't last this long, how could they? How could any of them? 

"It's okay," Neil said, and his false "I'm fine" tone broke Andrew from his thoughts. 

Neil was trying to get Dan to calm down, but Andrew could see right through his blue eyes. He could see Neil tearing himself into shreds. 

"It's not," Andrew found himself saying and watched Neil meet his eyes. "It's not okay," Andrew said again, talking to himself this time. 

Neil must have understood because he looked to the phone screen as if he'd see Dan there and spoke, "Dan. Dan I need you to call me in the morning. Get some rest, Matt- Matt? Matt, get her to rest. I know. We'll come in the morning, first flight, call the others. Okay, goodnight." 

Neil hung up and stared at the phone in his lap. Andrew had enough. Something in his throat swelled up and choked him. He couldn't stand to stare at Neil. Every time he looked at the wall, or the couch, or the floor he wanted to put a fist through it. He was starting to grind his teeth when he heard Neil's panicked breathing. 

"Not tonight," Andrew said , because this was not what he wanted to deal with. He didn't want to. Betsy had put this idea into his head from time ago and now it was shaking its ugly head at him and he couldn't take it. He couldn't handle someone as little of a role as Wymack played to have such an effect on him. 

"Neil," Andrew said climbing onto his knees and snatching the phone away. He threw it to the side so it was out of sight and took Neil's chin in the palm of his hand. 

"Let's go to bed." 

They left the remote where it was with the TV running in the background. Neil was like a ghost trailing after Andrew into the bedroom.

"My teeth," Neil managed to say when he had one leg up on his side of the bed. Andrew watched him from the other side as he rolled the blankets back. 

"Don't worry about it," Andrew replied and crawled in. He usually crawled in second, he didn't like being the first one in or the first one settled. It made him feel like prey. 

His thoughts were a sporadic- Is he dead? Is this a joke? How did he die? Why now? Why him? Why?

Neil curled up facing the doorway and Andrew knew better and waited for Neil's heavy breathing to fan out. He needed time and Andrew was always going to wait. When Neil finally calmed and spread his legs out, Andrew moved closer. Neil reached behind his back and let his hand linger palm up for Andrew to take. 

Andrew took his hand and memorized the way the lines curved and intersected across his palm. He squeezed when Neil squeezed and brought his other hand up to curve around Neil's neck. Neil relaxed into him and fell asleep. Andrew could not.

XXX 

The funeral was full of foxes. Foxes Andrew hadn't seen in years and some he'd seen this year, Exy related or not. There was Matt and Dan standing at the altar. Wymack's casket wasn't there yet as Abby and a few other coaches had yet to arrive. Dan was currently stuffing her face into Matt's funeral attire and Matt was looking only at her. He turned to see Kevin and his kid. Kevin was murmuring to Allison and their three kids pointing at each other and smiling.

Andrew turned to look at Renee who was talking to the new recruits. The kids who looked shocked rather than mournful as if they felt obligated to show up. They hadn't been there as long as the others had but Andrew didn't want to think about that. It wasn't a game of who felt worse. They all lost someone who had been through their fall and seen them rise. Wymack was there every step of the way and was there for them when no one else wanted to be. He gave them a chance when no one else would. He tried to protect them. He indulged in their weird habits and he provided for them despite their troubles. He wanted them to survive and he wanted their happiness. He wanted nothing more than to see their success. And now he wasn't going to see the rest of it. 

Andrew found Neil loitering around, moving from small group to group. Andrew checked the time and noticed that the other party was late. Ten minutes later and the doors opened. No priest, but a red eyed Abby was one of the many carrying a brown coffin. They started from the rear end of the church and Andrew took the time to identify each coach present. All dressed in black and all looking sullen. Andrew wanted to gag. 

Andrew gravitated towards Neil and took his hand. He took his hand because he saw the look in Neil's eyes and the way he stared at the coffin as if he wanted to tear it apart. To pull Wymack out as if it was all some sort of joke. It wasn't. 

Dan started crying and the priest arrived. They all took their seats and the original foxes sat thigh to thigh in the first three rows. Abby, Betsy and a few coaches Wymack was in constant contact with were sitting behind them. The rest of the church filled by other coaches, old teammates and friends. 

Everything else said faded out as Andrew found a corner to stare at for the next hour. Ever so often he felt Neil squeeze his hand. On his other side Kevin would shift his weight so that his knee brushed against Andrew's. Andrew knew it was intentional but he was sure it was an effort to look unaffected in front of his daughter. Andrew thought he shouldn't have to put up an act, this was Kevin's actual father. But they've been through their shit and this loss and pain wasn't something they couldn't get back up from. 

But then Betsy's words came back to him in a tsunami of emotions and he felt a loss of control he hadn't felt in a while. Neil must have noticed because he tore his eyes away from the preaching and looked at Andrew. 

"You okay?" He mouthed. 

Andrew stared at him as if doing nothing and feeling nothing would take away whatever he was feeling. It was unnecessary how awful he was feeling. His hand felt clammy. He didn't want to punch any floor or wall but he did want to punch Wymack. 

He was angry but this was something different. 

'Isn't that what he did for you?'

Andrew wished he could out himself into a coma so he wouldn't have to think or feel. He wasn't prepared for whatever the hell was happening inside his brain. He tried to deny it, and push away the thoughts but- 

"And he left this note for the Palmetto State Foxes in which he coached for years. He wrote, 'Abby, please. Let the kids know I love them and that I am proud of every single one of them. Even you, Minyard.'." 

Andrew mentally checked out.

XXX 

Andrew wasn't sure how he ended up in Betsy's office. It had been a while since he'd ever scheduled an appointment with her. Years since he'd gotten other professional help and since he'd sought out any guidance. He knew these things but sometimes he needed a reminder.

He wasn't there for any reason. Or, he could admit that Wymack's death a month ago was a large toll on how well things had been going. He and Neil had spoke about getting another cat. They talked about renting out a beach house during the summer and buying a house for the new team for Palmetto. Even though they knew Wymack had been a one-man charity case no one could replace him or make another family as he did. 

Neil was in and out as he'd thought he'd be. He was strong like Kevin so most days he toughed it out with his phone calls to keep Abby company while she grieved. Sometimes he left in the middle of the day to see Dan and Matt. Dan was still not coping and Kevin refused to speak about Wymack's death to anyone but his therapist. Dan and Matt decided to stay closer to everyone because Matt worried he wouldn't be enough. They all knew he was. 

Andrew stood at Betsy's door and felt the world on his shoulders. For the first time in a while he was sure of one thing. He knew what he was going to say. 

He opened the door after knocking and found Betsy in her usual spot. Her legs crossed one over the other a cup of tea in her hand. She had since switched to tea after a health scare she survived. After, Andrew raided her home and yelled at her while she laid in a hospital bed. 

"Andrew," she greeted him with a cheery smile. "I wasn't expecting you so early." She meant the date in which he wanted to see her and not the time. 

Andrew sat himself down and stared at the white cup she currently held. It wasn't as interesting as the face she made when she got Andrew to face something that was difficult. 

"I give up," Andrew said and Betsy's smile faltered. 

"No," Andrew said when she opened her mouth. "I mean-" his hands started to do that thing when he was nervous. He rubbed at his arms until old skin fell off. He darted his eyes around to find something that would hold his attention. He hated looking people in the eyes when he was honest and it was something he was still working on. A very, very slow process at that. 

"Wymack. I was thinking about what you said. I was thinking." 

Betsy smiled and chirped a little, "It's what you do best."

Andrew ignored her comment. He brought his entwined fingers to his bottom lip to further silence himself. 

"I didn't think he was a father at first." He looked up and saw Betsy's nod of encouragement. She wasn't going to speak unless warranted, so he continued. "I don't blame him for hating us. Or not hating. He put up with a lot, a lot of things no one else would. When the ravens came for Kevin he stood his ground, I had Kevin's back but he was there too. He took us in and gave us another chance. He let me steal and trick and do my business. He didn't touch me, he never raised a hand. He did his business and let us do ours, but he never made us feel like failures. Neil told me he called us his kids. I didn't believe him then. He was a man who wanted to fix his past by fixing ours and I didn't want anything to do with his pity. But it's more than that. He believed in us and all we did was take from him. He took and we never gave anything back. He wasn't expecting anything- well, he wanted us to win. And we did. But." 

Andrew bit his lip. He looked up at Betsy and noticed she'd stopped writing. She was still and her eyes filled with tears that he was sure would fall at any moment. She nodded again and a single tear rolled down to her chin. 

Andrew looked down and felt his mouth move on his own. 

"He wanted me sober. He didn't want the ERC to send me away. He saw through me and accepted whatever he saw even though he had no clue what he was dealing with. Even when it came out who Neil was and who his family was, he wanted Neil to stay. He let us have him. He let us stay and he didn't regret a single decision he made. He was in so much debt because of us." 

"I've had horrible foster homes. Fathers who weren't fathers who put their hands on me and got away with it. Mothers and siblings who hurt me and meant it. People who didn't care. But he did. And I didn't realize it because I didn't want to. Here's this man who promised to make us stars in five years. After five years, what were we going to expect? Christmas cards? Letters? Family vacations? No. But he cared and that's more than what any of us have gotten. We know that won't bring him back, but-" he said when Betsy sat straighter in her chair. "I would like to think he was a father. In some screwed sort of way. And the best one I've ever had." 

"Andrew," Betsy replied after a moment of silence. 

"Bee."

"It's okay to cry."

"I'm not," Andrew said, but he could feel the wetness on his cheeks anyway.


End file.
